Reality Check
by rosepetals186
Summary: Jasmine isn't dead, but isn't quite alive. Where is she, and why is she there? Meanwhile, Chloe's second death triggered some new mai powers, causing Alek to struggle to protect her. Not to mention, Brian and Zane? What becomes of them? Alek/Chloe Chalek
1. Why Am I So Cool?

A/N: I really love the TV show and the books, so I just decided to take a shot at writing my own fanfiction. I wrote the entire outline of this story and three chapters in one night. It's a little bit of an addiction. Any feedback is welcome, good or bad. So here's to hoping that you find my humor humorous, my romance romantic, and my drama dramatic. Cheers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Chloe King, or any of the characters. I only own the plot line of this story.

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><p><strong>Reality Check<strong>

By: Rosepetals186

Chapter One: Why Am I So Cool?

_Where am I?_

That's the first thought that pops into my head when I wake up. I am propped up against a white picket fence, my legs extended out in front of me, my head back towards the sun and my arms hanging limply, barely caressing the ground. I take notice to the shovel in my hand, and the bag of seeds lying next to my leg.

_What are these for anyway? Did I decide to take a break from protecting Chloe, and then chose to garden? Or maybe the shovel is a weapon and the bag contains some type of deadly poison? _

As my hand reaches towards the bag, I realize that my tan skin is already darker than usual.

_How long have I been lying in the sun?_

I gently lift the bag, bringing it to my face. I inspect every angle, until finally I dump the contents of the bag onto the ground.

_Sunflower seeds? So I seriously was just gardening… _

"Jasmine, dear," I begin to stand up, stretching my stiff legs. "Come inside!"

_Inside? _

In my direct line of vision, I notice nothing spectacular; a few tall trees, a big log, and a rather large lake.

_So why is there a picket fence in the middle of nowhere? _

"Jasmine?" I quickly turn around, trying to use all of my mai powers to make the turn swifter, but I ultimately just end up stumbling sideways.

_Why am I so clumsy all of a sudden? Maybe I have been out in the sun too long…_

Slowly I lift my head until I quietly let out a strangled gasp.

I was facing a beautiful cottage. But not just any cottage: my dream cottage. It was a cottage that I had built in my head and constructed as a child. When I was younger, I dreamt of a day where I would move into a place like this. Escape the reality of my life, be whoever I want to be.

Everything about it was perfect, down to the last detail. The exterior was entirely stone, every window had blue shutters and flowers were lined up against every open spot of the outer walls. I couldn't have asked for a more accurate interpretation of my dreams.

I slowly begin to walk towards the cottage, running my hands along the empty clothing lines. My eyes quickly scan the premises until I notice the side door of the house is hanging wide open, swinging back and forth with the wind.

_An open invitation, huh? _

My feet step onto the tile of the house and it all hits me at once, I am overwhelmed by a smell, a familiar smell, but in my life, an uncommon one.

_Chocolate chip cookies? _

I begin to gravitate towards the smell, letting my legs carry me, when suddenly a force knocks me over and onto the ground, a force larger than I could have imagined with a very cold nose, and a very wet tongue.

"Oh my goodness," I gushed, "Aren't you just so cute!" I smile as I rub the dog's stomach and it rolls over. I examine the dog, caressing it lightly, trying to figure out the breed. I finally give up though, realizing I never really studied dogs because they would never be kind enough to me in person to take interest. Dogs aren't exactly mai's best friend.

And then I get it, all at once, I get it. I lift myself off the ground and try to extend my claws, but no such luck. Of course, in this reality, I am not mai.

_No wonder I garden… I guess without being mai, I never met Alek and I never had a duty to complete, so I became really bored and started to garden… Why am I so cool? _

I turn my body towards the house once again, taking in the long, narrow hallway. My feet begin to resume movement, as I stalk down the hall towards the door, the dog trailing behind me at my feet. When I reach the door, I cautiously turn the doorknob, and swing open the door. My mind goes blank as I take in the sight before me, in the seventeen years of my existence I never expected to ever be met with what was standing in front of me now.

The figure before me turns around, balancing a large sheet of cookies, just having been removed from the oven, with a pink oven mitt covering her right hand. A warm smile is plastered on her face, and she is wearing a flower-patterned apron with the words, "Kiss the cook," on it.

_What the-_

"Mom?"

* * *

><p>"Is that any way to talk to your brother?" He said, dropping the mock American accent, rubbing his bloody hands together.<p>

_Brother?_

My eyes are fixed into place, listening to his heartbeat, hoping to hear some type of irregularity, something to prove he's lying.

We stand in silence, just glaring at each other for what feels like eternity, until we are pulled out of our trance by my phone. He jumps into action, lunging for me; I swiftly dodge his knife, barely missing the sharp blade.

"I'm too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt, so sexy..."

_What the- _

_That's definitely not the ringtone that I had set earlier today. _

"Wow, Alek, looks like rejection by our parents isn't the only problem that you have," I growl in response, running full speed towards him, using all my weight to push him onto the table, effectively breaking it.

"Just for that comment, I'll make your death slow and painful." I hiss, and use his momentary disadvantage to look at my phone, as it is still ringing. I click it on and see a picture of Paul, smiling brightly into the camera.

_Of course that'd be his ringtone. _

How did he get my number? And why would he be calling?

_Chloe._

I left Chloe unprotected. And there would have been no back-up tonight, Jasmine is…well…

_Shoot. _

I turn around in time to barely miss a dart coming at my face. I tumble on the ground, defending myself with the kitchen counter, using it as a shield. I catch my breath, extend my claws and jump out from behind the counter; only to fall to the ground in confusion.

_Where did he go?_

I look around and find the place completely empty, aside from the bodies on the floor.

_THE BODIES ON THE FLOOR!_

I crawl over to Jasmine, tears now completely streaming down my face. I couldn't believe this, she was my family, the only real one I ever had. She was like a sister to me. I put two fingers on her neck checking for a pulse, although I was pretty sure of my answer. Her skin was ashy pale, her chest wasn't heaving up and down, her eyes were closed and her wound definitely wasn't healed.

I was so distracted by crying that I had difficulty pressing my finger to her neck properly to search for a pulse.

_Bingo._

_She's still alive._

I act quickly running into Valentina's room to find the first aide kit. I clean her wound and try to help her best as I can, but the knife pierced vital organs. She should be dead, this doesn't make sense.

I then make my way over to Valentina, sure as anything that she's dead; I can see the empty poison dart lying on the floor near her. But I press my fingers against her neck and once again feel a pulse.

_They both have a pulse, yet neither one is breathing, and neither one should still be alive? _

_Does. Not. Compute._

I opt for picking them up separately and moving them into their bedrooms on their beds. Hopefully, this is some type of ancient mai thing that I don't know about. Or at least, I hope there is some sort of explanation, I'm just happy that they aren't all entirely dead. There's still hope.

_Chloe._

_Chloe!_

I pick up my phone and quickly hit redial, someone picks up on the second ring. I can hear sobbing in the background, needless to say, I'm concerned.

"Hello, hello. Alek?" I can hear the urgency in Paul's voice, he sounds on the verge of tears as well.

"What is going on Paul?"

"Come to the theater near the park. Do it now. It's important; some things can't be explained in words."

I hung up the phone, thoughts of what could've gone wrong swimming in my head, but deep down, I knew the answer; she lost a life, I just knew it. The guilt consumed me, I should have been there and if not there, here. I'm supposed to be the hero. Looking at Jasmine laying on the bed, I walk over, kiss her forehead, and then without a second thought, bolt out the door, running faster than I ever have in my entire life.

_There's still hope. _

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><p>I would like to say that I have a thought to share, a feeling, or even just a sentence. But I don't. I'm numb.<p>

My name is Chloe King, and I am a murderer. Not the good type that kills bad guys, or does the dirty work for the Scooby Doo Crew. No, I'm the type who kills the ones she loves, the innocent, by keeping secrets and being selfish. That's the worst type, especially for me, because I'm also something worse than a murderer, I'm the uniter. I have nine lives to live, nine lives to endure, nine lives to suffer. When will I ever get it right?

Tears are still streaming down my face as I continue to stare at the boy sprawled across my lap.

_The dead boy, I should add. The one I killed. _

I lift my head, removing my gaze from him as I try to focus on something—anything—else. I look at Paul, who is sitting on the steps below us, just looking down, sad, and frankly, uncomfortable. Amy is hovering above me, hands on my shoulders, trying to comfort me, but I barely feel her, and I barely even notice her touch. I hear her sniffles, I hear her cries, but I don't make any move to hug her.

_This isn't going to be a best friend bonding moment. Even that is too twisted for me. _

"Chloe…" And then I hear it, that voice, that accent, even the heartbeat. I hear it all, and I dissolve into nothing again, because I know what he's going to say and I don't want to hear it.

_I told you so; I'm bracing myself for it._

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I owe you so much more than that too." My head snaps up, and my eyes search his face, trying to figure him out, what's his angle.

"Why are you sorry? This is what you wanted, him out of the picture." I say bitterly, shifting my gaze downward. I'm angry, I guess. I want to take out my frustration on something, I want to feel something.

"Chloe…" I look up at him again, and if I didn't know how he really feels about Brian, I would have actually believed that he cared. His face looks so pained. "Yes, I want you to want to be with me, and that isn't something I'll deny. So yes, having him out of the picture would be helpful, but by out of the picture, I just met out of your life, not out of existence. I would never wish this fate on anyone."

My eyes start to brim with more tears. I didn't think one person could produce so many in one sitting.

"I wouldn't either…"

He begins to walk towards me, moving slowly, as if testing the waters. Somewhere in the mix of things, Paul and Amy managed to make themselves disappear; I wonder how they escaped without my notice, but oh well. Alek leans on the steps facing me, and then he gently drapes his arm over my shoulders, pulling me in. For a long time, we just sit on companionable silence, until I begin to speak up again.

"Why are you even comforting me? I hurt you. You told me I'd regret it, not picking you." My tone was not accusing, simply curious. I didn't have it in me to fight anymore tonight.

"Don't you?"

I think for a moment about my answer. In a way, I do. If I had just picked him, Brian would still be alive, but either way, someone had to get hurt.

"I do regret letting it go this far with Brian," I cast my eyes down, not wanting to look him straight in the eye for this part. "But I don't regret what happened with us, only that you found out the way you did." I feel him begin to withdraw his arm, but I hold him still.

"No, listen. I care about you, Alek, I do. But right now, I don't love you. I could someday fall in love with you, but right now I'm confused, I just wanted to play human for a while longer. Brian gave me that; he let me keep that piece of me, that piece that isn't mai or the uniter. I needed that then, but it's time that I start stepping up and accepting who and what I am. I am the uniter, I can't afford anymore mistakes. I don't have as many lives left."

As soon as the words come out of my mouth, I know my mistake.

"_I don't have as many lives left..." _

Alek becomes stiff next to me, and I know what is coming next.

He suddenly turns to me and wraps his arms around me, causing Brian to roll off my lap.

_Say what-? That wasn't what I expected. Again._

I bury my face into his chest and just breathe in his scent, I feel him stroke my hair, combing it through his fingers.

"I'm sorry, Chloe, I'm so sorry. I'm supposed to be your protector, and I failed." I pull back and my heart clenches when I see the shame on his face, the look of utter defeat.

I take his face in my hands. "Alek, you haven't failed. I would have lost all my lives by now if you weren't here. But what I need is for you to be with me now, all of you, right here, right now. Forget the past, it's over, I need you now." The intensity in my voice surprises even me.

He pulls me in again, hugging me fiercely, as if it was the last hug we would ever share, like I could vanish in midair. We pull back again, both having tears in our eyes, and we just stare at each other. I start to lean in unintentionally, and he does as well. Our eyes begin to close; our lips lightly brushing against each other when we hear a sudden gasp of air from the previously unmoving corpse in the room.

"Brian?" I say scrambling closer to him, looking him up and down, making sure I'm not dreaming.

"What are you, Chloe?"

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><p>AN: Phew. Success! Chapter One is complete. Sorry for any grammatical mistakes. Some crazy stuff went down this chapter; I tried to add humor when I could, but some parts I wanted to be intense. Give me any of your reviews, I'll gladly accept them.


	2. My Spidey Senses Were Tingling

A/N: I was impressed with the response I got on the last chapter after only one day; a few reviews, a lot of story alert notifications and even some private messages. Thank you so much! Just to clear something up, I am pairing Chloe and Alek together in this story, not Chloe and Brian. Brian will actually play a very different role in this story, which may involve an alternative romance in the future. Anyway, this chapter was a more difficult one to edit. It was mostly focused on Jasmine, although there is very important Chloe action too at the beginning and end. But I'll admit, not my favorite chapter. So here's to hoping that you find my humor humorous, my romance romantic, and my drama dramatic. Cheers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Chloe King, or any of the characters. I only own the plot line of this story.

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><p>Chapter Two: My Spidey Senses Were Definitely Tingling<p>

"What are you, Chloe?" He says it again, a little more aggression evident in his voice. Maybe if I hadn't just died an hour ago and he hadn't been chanting that he loved me, I would have been more frightened.

"Alek, could you leave Brian and I alone for a few minutes," The pain is quite apparent on Alek's face, but nonetheless, he hesitantly gets up and walks towards the door. "We are just going to talk, thank you." He curtly nods his head and exits the room.

I turn my attention back towards Brian, and soften my gaze. "How are you alive?"

"I could ask you the same question." He barks out; the accusatory tone still plain in his voice.

_Touché _

"Brian, I want to tell you everything, I need to tell you everything. But I have to know that you won't tell anyone, that I can trust you." I say it passionately, demanding him to tell me what I want to hear.

It seems as if that flips his switch; suddenly his offensive mode is turned off, and he becomes the same Brian that he was an hour ago. Instantly he stops glaring and moves towards me to place his hands on my shoulders.

_Wow, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that he just switched from Mr. Hyde back to Dr. Jekyll. _

"Chloe, you can tell me anything, I've shared my entire world with you, what do you need to share with me?"

I slowly intake air, ignoring the sick feelings in my stomach, and begin to tell him the entire story, starting with Xavier and ending with my second death.

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><p>"Mom?"<p>

"Oh, Jazzy, I was calling you for the longest time," She begins to walk towards me, placing the cookie sheet on top of the stove. "You are just so distracted when you garden. Did you find what you were looking for?"

_What I was looking for?_

"Ah, no, mom, I didn't find it." I stumble over my own words, trying to cover it with a cough, but in the end it just sounded like I was trying to fake vomit or something.

_Smooth, Jasmine, Smooth. _

She looks at me strangely and then gently strokes my arm. "Well, I'm sure it'll show up, sweet pea. That book is just so important to you."

_Sweet Pea…? Book? I was looking for a book in the garden? _

"Yeah, it's terrible that I may never get to read it again, we'll have to get another copy." My attempts at continuing this conversation are growing more and more futile as the minutes pass on, I don't even know if what I'm saying is accurate.

My response earns another strange look from my mother. "Are you feeling alright, you look overheated," She puts the back of her hand on my forehead, feeling for a temperature. "Now I know you really care about that book, but you know that we wouldn't even know where to buy it. Your father will be home from work soon, and when he is, we'll see if he can't help you look for it."

_My father! I've never even met my father…_

My mother turns back to the stove and begins to make something that seems to resemble a soup, probably for dinner. I place myself on the small chair closest to the wall, as thoughts of my father spin around in my head. I've never been more eager to meet anyone in my life. "Mom, do you love Dad?"

After a long moments pause, she turns around and eyes me wearily. "Are you positive that you aren't coming down with something?" Then after a moment of deliberation, her expression shifts and she's giving me the most motherly look that I've ever seen her muster. "Of course, I love your father, sweetie. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here with the both of you." She walks towards me to kiss my forehead and then goes back to cooking the dinner.

_I guess in this reality, with no mai, she has time for a family. _

"You've never wanted anything more than children?" I cast my eyes down, knowing her answer in the real world; she would talk about priorities, about how she has to shape me to be Valentina 2.0, so it's not a matter of wanting me, but needing me.

This time she doesn't even turn around, she just continues working, throwing spice after spice into the pot. "No, you've always been number one for me. You and only you." She acts like that statement is obvious, like it requires absolutely no thought.

I smile slightly, thinking about how nice that would be, even for a day, to have my mother's full attention. She's not even questioning that I am asking her how much she cares for me, like she just knows I need the reassurance. She's acting like a mother, one who actually knows her daughter.

I am brought out of my thoughts when I hear the door slam, and footsteps increasing in volume in the hallway. My mother slowly turns around and smiles brightly, moving towards the figure.

"Hey kiddo." I feel a pat on my head, and I am cautious to look up.

_It's now or never, Jazzy. _

My gaze moves upward and it's like looking in the mirror at a manlier, scruffier version of me, one with a lot of curly, brown hair. The most noticeable feature being the brown eyes, my same brown eyes. He is clad in a pinstriped suit and holding a dark leather briefcase.

_We look exactly alike. _

"I'm so glad you're home, honey." My mother walks towards him, putting aside his briefcase and kisses him lightly on the lips; he returns the kiss with a tenderness that is plainly noticeable to the human eye.

_I would say, "Get a room," but then I might lose my opportunity to talk to him._

She walks back over to the soup and resumes work once again, stirring every so often in between adding more vegetables and spices. My father sits down on the chair to the right of me and begins to twiddle his thumbs, I'm not entirely sure if it is a nervous habit or if he has something to say and isn't saying it.

Eventually his gaze shifts towards me, the uncomfortable tension in the room reaches its crescendo as he won't meet my eyes. "Jasmine, I have something I need to tell you…"

_Ok, so it is the latter, he's definitely hiding something… _

"Yes…dad…" The words roll off my tongue, but they sound so wrong. Either way I prompt him to spit out whatever it is he's trying to avoid.

"I took your book with me to work today." He shifts his gaze downward, the shame apparent on his face.

_Why is this book so important? You would think it contained the cure for cancer or something. _

My mother releases an audible gasp, as she takes a step forward, crosses her arms and glares down at my father.

_Here comes lecture time._

"Craig, you know how important this book is to her, she doesn't even go to sleep at night without reading this book first. You didn't even think to ask?" She looks furious; I wonder how much grief I put her through looking for this book.

"No, I didn't ask. I'm sorry, I really am. I needed to show it to someone, but I should have asked first." That was an oddly suspicious comment, who would he need to show my book to?

"Well, can I have it back then?" I look him straight in the eye; I try to look annoyed because I feel like any other look would be strange to my parents in this situation.

He reaches for his briefcase and after a moment of messing with the lock, he manages to open it, revealing a very large, old storybook. I weigh the storybook in my hands and determine that it is rather heavy, and made completely of leather.

Just as I am about to open the book, my mother begins to usher me out of the room. "Okay, Jasmine, you have your book. I think you should go to your room for a bit, your father and I need to have a word," She looks pointedly at my father, until she softens her gaze, noticing how distraught I look. "Don't worry; we'll call you down for dinner soon."

_My room? Yeah, because I certainly know where that is… _

My mother had already ushered me halfway up the stairs, obviously in a hurry to remove me from the kitchen. I begin to climb the other half until I reach a long hallway; it wasn't gruesome or dreary, but just very plain, and very normal. The walls are painted beige and there are some paintings with strange quotes on them.

I trace the frame of one particular picture, reading the quote aloud to myself, "We spend the first twelve months of our child's lives teaching them to walk and talk and the next twenty years telling them to sit down and shut up."

_Wow, thank you so much for that, mom. You are just too kind. _

Next to the quote is a picture of a much younger me, covered in spaghetti sauce, looking like I'm throwing a fit.

_I wonder if this picture actually exists in the real world._

At the end of the hallway I reach four doors. Three doors are wide open, revealing themselves to be everything but my bedroom, so the choice was quite clear; the last closed door had to be my room.

_Points for simplicity, right? _

With the book still wrapped tightly in my arms, I begin to turn the doorknob and swiftly open the door. When I step into the room it makes everything else appear almost anticlimactic.

_It's so normal. _

The walls of the room are simply a sky blue and the room is decorated rather plainly. There is a large bed in the middle of the wall opposite to the door, a small bedside table adjacent to it, and a clean, empty desk on the wall closest to the door. The only slightest non-uniform part of the room is the pile of clothing in the corner.

_This is nothing special at all. In this reality, not being mai has made me so boring. I mean, I can't even decorate my room with brighter colors, prints, or anything._

I go to sit on the bed when I suddenly remember the book in my hands.

_My spidey senses are definitely tingling with this one. Something is not right about this book. _

I place my hand on the front cover, tracing the creases in the leather with my fingertips.

_Come on, stop being a wimp and just open it. It can't be that bad, whatever it is. _

After a moment of hesitation, I begin to lift the front cover up slowly, revealing the first page. I examine it with my eyes, when suddenly the meaning of the page smacks me right in the face. For as slowly as I opened the page, the opposite is done when closing it. I slam it shut, and place my head in my hands, letting a strangled whimper release itself from my mouth.

_Okay, well, what did I expect? Usually when people say that it "can't be that bad," it is "that bad."_

* * *

><p>"So let me get this straight? You are part of a race of cat-like creatures, but you are special because you are the uniter." He looks incredulously at me like he is expecting me to pinch him and tell him it's all a dream.<p>

_No such luck, buddy. I've been hoping these last couple weeks have been a dream too, but unfortunately I have to deal with what I am now too. _

"Yes, that is correct. I know it is a lot to take in." I slowly breathe in and out; I've been struggling to regulate my breathing all night. Ever since I died, I've been feeling so strange, almost nauseous.

"What does this mean for us, Chloe? I came back to life this time, but who's to say I will in the future? I don't even know why I did this time." His eyes shift to the side and for some reason; I just can't shake that feeling, a feeling like he knows exactly why he came back to life.

"I think it's best if I focus on my duties right now, and my duties alone." I say it with certain finality. Things are different now than before I died, I feel different, my desires are different.

Brian eyes me wearily, looking at me like he isn't quite sad, but isn't quite happy either. It's hard to pinpoint his emotions exactly. "I understand your commitment, but I still love you, Chloe. I still think we can make this work." All traces of passion are completely lost in his phrase, it's like he's saying the words, but there is no substance behind them.

I sigh, and move myself a little farther away from his grasp, my stomach easing a little more as I do so. "Brian, when you died, something inside of me died too. I know that I love you, but I know that at the same time, I can't have you. I think I've accepted that, watching the worst possible scenario play out in front of me, I realize that this is your second chance and you need to take it, not make the same mistakes again." He nods his head at my words, he doesn't look overly upset by my answer, and I think perhaps finding out about what I am has scared him a little.

After a moment of silence, he nods his head again and turns around to leave the room. He doesn't even say goodbye, he doesn't hug me, and he just hangs his head and leaves.

_Something is definitely off about him, I don't know what it is, but I'm going to find out. _

As soon as Brian closes the door and I hear him walk a distance away, I run out of the theater and straight into Alek, standing alone with a self-satisfied look on his face.

_Amy and Paul must have headed home. I wonder how late it is…_

"So judging from your facial expression, you heard most of that?" He simply nods his head, keeping his smirk perfectly intact. "Well, that's good, because something was definitely off. I don't know how I know, but I know. He's lying about something. I think we should follow him."

"Chloe…" He looks at me with a tired expression on his face, as if tonight events have possibly affected him more than they've affected me.

_Hey, I'm the one that died here._

"Alek, please. This is important to me, we are losing time, and we can still catch up to his car if we try. I just want to spy a little. If we find nothing here tonight, then we'll never come back." I plead with him using my eyes; I try to give him the most pitiful puppy dog look that I can muster.

He sighs, and begins to shift his weight between both legs, crossing his arms. "Fine, Chloe. But if we find nothing tonight, we won't do this again without a very good reason." I smile brightly at him knowing that I've won. Then with the smile still tugging on my lips, I burst into a run, heading straight towards Brian's house.

* * *

><p>"Yes, Simone, the meeting went very well with Chloe's mother. Now I have access to her at any time I want, and access directly to Chloe's house. This makes avenging my wife myself, very easy." I smirk, knowing that my plan was pulling together quite neatly. "Did Zane hold up his end of the bargain and remove of all other obstacles?"<p>

"Zane has informed me that there is only one obstacle left to remove, but he is in the process of removing said obstacle. Alek Petrov. He has proven to be quite the inconvenience for us. But Valentina and Jasmine have both been eliminated." Even over the phone, the pride was evident in her voice, she was so confident.

_Sometimes overconfident. _

"And the plans for tonight? Chloe has lost her second life?" I inquired, knowing for almost certain that the events went exactly as planned.

She spoke silkily, another bulge of pride overtaking her tone, as if threatening for someone to try to stop her plans. "Executed flawlessly. I was even the one to pull the trigger."

_Curious. She was there herself?_

As long as only the mai were dying, we were following our code. We were living by the honor that has been bestowed for generations. "No, humans were injured in this little shoot down, correct?"

"No, Whitney, no humans." Something about her voice made me question what she was saying, as if she was telling only part of a lie, but yet not the entire truth.

I chose not to question her further on the matter and simply praise her for accomplishing so much in one night. "Very good, Simone." After a few minutes of thought, I remembered what else I had to ask her. "My son, Brian, you slipped his mother's ring into his jacket, correct?"

"Yes…but you never did tell me why I needed to do that." She questioned, curiously. Of course, she wouldn't understand the importance of my question; she didn't look far enough into the situation.

Obviously my son was a top priority to me, if he were to die; I would lose my entire family. "You know that I can't have him being hurt by these…mai…"

"Yes, but I don't see the relevance that has to the ring…" She still sounded just as confused as before, although I clearly hinted my answer at her.

_Sometimes she's very dense._

I decided to just out and tell her what I was talking about; it's not something she would figure out on her own. "Don't you see? The ring protects him! It prevents the mai from being able to kill him; he'll just come back to life." I smile to myself, knowing that mai's hold over me has become dramatically less crippling.

* * *

><p>So what do I know now?<p>

Well, Brian's father is the mastermind behind the order, he is somehow now involved with my mother, he wants to avenge his wife's death, and his wives ring, which is now in the possession of Brian, has the ability to bring anyone killed by a Mai creature back to life.

_Nope, that's not dangerous at all. How would he even acquire a ring like that to begin with? _

I nod over to Alek, whose eyes are wide in surprise and he nods his head back, signaling that it is time to make our escape off this rooftop.

"Well, well, what do we have here? Two eavesdroppers?" I know that voice; I heard that voice at the carnival.

_Zane._

* * *

><p>AN: Oh, the plot thickens! And no, Chloe does not know yet about Zane killing Jasmine and Valentina. Next chapter we will learn more from Zane about Jasmine and Valentina's impending "death", shortly visit Jasmine in her other reality, find out more about Brian's role in all of this, and finally discover some of Chloe's new changes. (Some Chloe/Alek action next chapter too) I am so glad to finally be editing the portion about Chloe's new changes, there was some major foreshadowing in this chapter that Chloe isn't feeling exactly right, and next chapter you'll find out why. (No, she's not pregnant, I promise! That'd be a nice twist though.) Oh, and I just want to say thanks again for the response on my first chapter, it was amazing! I was getting email after email yesterday for story alerts and reviews. It was actually funny, I was at a movie night with my friends and we'd be watching a dramatic part and you'd hear my phone ding and then we'd yell, "Don't go in the closet!" and then ding. Anyway, people have been asking why I don't post all three chapters I have written at once and the easy answer is I like to hear the response that I get on one chapter at a time. The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll post a chapter. So give me any of your reviews, I'll gladly accept them.


	3. That's Not One Word

A/N: Awh, some of you caught me with the Vampire Diaries reference! Yes, I am a BIG fan of The Vampire Diaries (Ian Somerhalder, anyone?), but trust me I have some things up my sleeve as far as the ring goes, and obviously a witch didn't spell it, right? There are no witches in the Nine Lives of Chloe King (Or at least there aren't in my story). But no worries all will be explained, although that specifically will not be explained in this chapter. So this chapter is the revealing, question answering chapter, and if you aren't on the edge of your seat in shock, then I'm just going to quit right here and now! So here's to hoping that you find my humor humorous, my romance romantic, and my drama dramatic. Cheers!

Disclaimer: I do not own Chloe King, or any of the characters. I only own the plot line of this story.

* * *

><p>Chapter Three: That's Not One Word<p>

_Zane?_

I swivel around, listening to Alek's suddenly shallow breathing. When I glance over at his face, expecting a smirk or an indication of surprise, I am greeted with pain; just raw pain. I want nothing more than to walk over and comfort him, but I know showing any signs of weakness, at this point, could be fatal. I allow my gaze to shift back to Zane and he is glaring menacingly at Alek, meeting him at every level of intimidation.

_Something isn't right here. The carnival was not the last time Alek saw Zane. _

As confused as I am, my mind drifts back to Simone's words in the office, _"But Valentina and Jasmine have both been eliminated."_

For a second that feeling of numbness comes back again, I liken it to earlier tonight when I thought Brian had died. This really isn't all fun and games, people are dying at my feet, and I can't stop them all.

_I'm a murderer. Even indirectly, I am. Zane wouldn't even be here if I didn't exist. _

I am rendered frozen in shock for a few moments, until I shortly sober myself up, remembering that I have a crazed murderer standing in front of me. "You killed them, huh? You just up and murdered two of your fellow race. Just like that?" I begin to accuse him, the tears coating my cheeks. I feel so naive; it took me this long to figure out that they died. If Zane hadn't show up, I don't know when I would have realized it.

He smirks at me, raising his eyebrows at my little outbreak, as if he finds amusement from my pain. "Just like that." Snapping his fingers, he begins to shuffle his feet closer to me, reaching into his back pocket. I want to take a step back, but I hold my ground.

"That's a problem for you then, because now there is no one stopping me from killing you." As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I extend my claws and dive for him, but of course he comes prepared, he already has a knife out and ready for me. I dodge countless attempts for him to stab me, using my small physique to my advantage.

_Where did Alek go?_

As I am fighting, I notice my protector is no where in sight. I can't help but wonder if another disaster was occurring at the same time.

_Not that I really have time right now to do anything about it…_

I manage to gain momentum on Zane, he's growing tired of watching me dodge his attacks, but I'm definitely not done yet. I throw myself towards him, just close enough to scratch his face before he throws me off.

He puts a hand up to his face, realizing that I've drawn blood. "You put up a touch fight, Uniter. I guess a guy can accept when he's been defeated." His breathing becomes more and more labored, as he hunches over to take a break, effectively putting a halt to the fight. "But for the record, I didn't kill Jasmine or her mother."

Now he has my attention.

Still hunched over, he lifts only his head to meet my eyes. "I didn't kill them," He repeats again, "The dart that I shot at Valentina was not poison." I feel guilty again, realizing that I hadn't even managed to find out what had killed her, reminding me that I hadn't known about her death until just a few minutes prior.

"It was a special concoction made by the order; it just incapacitates the person, putting their mind in another reality. I also rubbed it onto the knife that I used to stab Jasmine. They are both still alive, just not responsive." I blink at him, trying to get a feel for whether he was lying, but his heartbeat claimed that he was telling the truth.

"Why now? Why are you telling me this now? Better yet, why did you incapacitate them at all?" I can feel the anger rising in me. Even if they aren't dead, he obviously isn't working for our side.

His expression turns cold at my questions. "Opposed to your beliefs, Chloe, I haven't completely turned my back on my own race." He begins to straighten himself up, no longer hunching over, as he continues, "The order came to me though and demanded my help. If I wasn't going to help them, I was going to be dead. What other choice did I have? I had no other choice than to at least get Valentina and Jasmine out of the picture for a time, so that they appear dead. At least until I was set free and able to go far from where the order could find me." I felt sympathy for him, I really did. He was used as a pawn in a cause that he didn't believe in. His idea to just incapacitate Valentina and Jasmine was actually pretty intelligent, although completely inconsiderate to them.

"And you didn't think to tell Valentina about this? You didn't think that had they known, they could've kept you safe? You didn't think about how this could affect them?"

"Would they have listened to me? Would they have actually tried to keep themselves out of the picture to protect me? I couldn't have them defending me, it wouldn't have worked. When the order is out to get you, they will not fail. I know you tend to think that the Mai are the best and most powerful forces out there, but that isn't true all the time. And this is near the leader of the order too, the heart of the entire operation, that isn't easy to stop. Plus, they already have every mai in San Francisco protecting you, they don't have many more." What he was saying was making sense, it was actually coming together, but I still had so many questions.

"Fine. I guess that makes sense, but why did you try to fight me on the roof just now?" I shoot him a dirty, crossing my arms.

"I had to talk to you away from the house," I look around, realizing that now we are pretty far away from the building. "They do have surveillance cameras, you know."

_Oh, nice job, Chloe. No wonder you kept losing at Barbie Super Spy as a child. _

"Oh." I hang my head a little, realizing that I had obviously been caught. I hope they won't be sure of exactly how much we heard, but that was probably just wishful thinking on my part.

"So are you still going to kill me?" I take a step towards him, looking him up and down, my arms still crossed. "I'd like to take this time to remind you that I am the only one that knows the cure to bringing them out of the state that they are in."

_Nice save, man. Although, I wouldn't have killed him anyway…_

"Fine, I guess I won't kill you. But if you do anything else fishy, then you won't be so lucky next time." My good-hearted humor seems to thaw him out a little bit, although the threat in my voice is still plainly evident. "Now let's get out of here and find Alek; he has seemed to inconveniently disappear." With a smile on my face, I extend my hand towards him, preparing to bolt out of here as fast as I can.

He smiles slightly, and reaches out to take my hand. Suddenly a loud bang rings in the air. I look up in the sky expecting to see someone on the rooftops above me, when Zane suddenly drops to the ground, revealing a tall older man holding an extremely small shotgun standing behind him.

_How did I not hear him coming? _

I notice the queasy feeling in my stomach has resurfaced again. Suddenly another bang rings into the air, and I somersault onto the ground to avoiding the incoming bullet. When I lift myself into a crouch, prepared for fight, I notice the older man is no longer standing up, but on the ground. The figure above him leans down; foot on his chest, whispering what appears to be menacing words in his ear.

_Why can't I hear them? Why aren't my powers working? I can't even see in the dark well enough to tell who the figure is._

The figure begins to step closer and I become suddenly very afraid.

_What if it is another person from the order? _

_What if they want to kill me?_

"Chloe, calm down. It's just me. It's just Alek." He steps into a streetlight with his hands on his hips, leaning down towards me.

"Oh, Alek." I rush into his arms, allowing him to comfort me. When he releases me from his hold, I kneel down to Zane, knowing that he is dead. Alek puts his hands on my shoulders, and I tell him everything that Zane said. By the time I finish the story, I realize that at that moment, I want nothing more than to help Zane; I long to help him. "He was the only one who knew the cure, you know. Or at least, the only one we know that actually might tell us."

"We'll find another way, Chloe. There has to be one." Suddenly I become very woozy again, another wave of nausea coming over me. "Chloe, are you alright?" He kneels down towards me, and begins to stroke my hair, trying to comfort me.

"No, honestly, I don't feel alright. I haven't ever since I died. But this is worse. I have an overpowering emotion to help him, but I don't know how, and I physically feel awful." All of sudden, when I feel like I'm about to vomit, I begin to shake. Alek lets go of me, and begins to take small steps away. The shaking becomes faster and faster, it feels as if I am a volcano that has just erupted, and I am now suffering the earthquakes that come after. The last thing I see before I go momentarily blind is Alek, putting a hand over his mouth with a shocked expression playing on his features. When I regain my eyesight a second later, I feel even stranger than I did before, but less nauseous.

_I must've fallen on the ground because I feel a lot closer to it than I remember. _

On my hands and knees, I move closer to Zane. I still have that overwhelming urge to help him, so I lean my head closer to his, my lips centimeters away from his cheek, and slowly lick his face.

_Wait, what…?_

I quickly incline my head back in shock, realizing that what I just did was not only socially awkward, but very strange. I avert my eyes away from him, for the first time, looking down at my hands…err….paws? Replacing my beautiful, pale hands were furry, white paws.

_Oh, this cannot be good. _

* * *

><p>My eyes intently read the pages of the book, over and over again, searching for the meaning. So many questions run through my head.<p>

_Why would my dad want to show someone this book?_

_Why does this book even exist in this reality? _

On the pages of this book, aren't only prophecies, but pictures. The biggest picture being a large, white cat. This cat is ethereal, beautiful. It has these incredible golden green eyes, with slits for pupils.

_It looks almost like Chloe._

The prophecy that lied beneath, I have read over and over again, but it still doesn't make any sense.

"Beware of the great white cat for it is said to possess powers that are unattainable by any force of nature. While some of these powers can be used for the greater good of the world, many of these powers can pose a threat to any being not of the same race as this creature. This curse can only be triggered by intimate contact with a creature in possession of an item that has corrupted supernatural properties. Once triggered, heightened emotions of anger, longing or sorrow, can potentially lead to the transformation into this creature."

Now while that part of the prophecy is all fine and dandy, the next part is what scares me to pieces.

"Warning: Although the power this creature possesses has incredible opportunities, it is possible that once the transformation is made, it may be entirely impossible to revert back from creature to previous form again. The chances of this occurring grow more and more with each transformation. If a being does manage to get stuck in this form, permanent death will occur within one week of this transformation."

I close the book again, still thinking about what all this could mean.

_What exactly is a corrupt supernatural item? Does that even exist? _

_Well, the only thing I can hope for is that Chloe doesn't kiss someone possessing an item like that. Because if she does, then I guess it's safe to say that as much as I'm afraid of what's going on in this reality, it's nothing compared to what is most certainly going on out there. _

"Jasmine! We are ready for dinner now!" I slide the book under my bed and prepare to go downstairs and meet the eyes of my father.

_He clearly knows much more than I thought. It's what he is going to do with the knowledge that frightens me._

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><p>I stare down at Chloe, unsure of exactly how to help her. What exactly do you do when someone turns into a big, white cat in front of you? Any normal person would probably run and hide, but she is the uniter, so maybe this is normal.<p>

_It's not like I have anyone to ask. _

One thing was certain though; she is the most beautiful cat that I've ever seen. If I had to put my finger on it, I would claim that she is a Turkish Angora breed, the white hair is almost a dead give away. But she also had these incredible golden green eyes, and the way she holds herself is with grace, even for a cat.

I eventually walk towards her, and kneel down to the ground. I find it difficult to remember that this is still Chloe so I probably shouldn't start petting and cooing at her, she might find that annoying. I opt to try to pick her up, but I can tell she is resistant.

"Meow." She begins to hiss at me, and it becomes clear that she obviously does not want me to pick her, but I don't really listen to her considering I can get her out of here faster if I just carry her. Just as I pick her up to cradle her in my arms, she begins to violently shake again causing me to shake with her. After a minute has passed, she quickly transforms from cat to mai again, so quick that if I had blinked I probably would have missed it. But this time, when she changes forms, she doesn't open her eyes again, she remains unconscious.

"Come on, Chloe. This isn't nap time." Still holding her in my arms, I begin to jostle her a little bit, trying to wake her up, but she is out cold.

_I guess it's time to take her home…rough night._

I glance at my watch, noticing that it is already well after midnight.

_Her mother is probably sending out a search party. _

* * *

><p>When I wake up from my deep slumber, I am still on the street ground, nobody even bothering to move me from my place. I was so sure that I died when I was hit by that bullet, so certain.<p>

I lift myself off the ground, and dust off my clothing. Looking around, I notice the sky is starting to lighten up, the sun starting to rise.

_Huh, almost daybreak. _

I feel my chest, noticing that the bullet hole has completely healed up, and my memory is still fully intact.

_I was about to go back to Valentina's place with Chloe. _

I reach into my pocket and pull out a small vile filled with bright yellow liquid; I smile to myself realizing that I still have exactly what I need. I walk over to the old man, noticing that his breathing is shallow and he is definitely unconscious, but not entirely dead. I pour some of the yellow liquid down his throat, and within seconds he regains consciousness, panting heavily.

"Hey, young man! Where did that girl go? The one who was on the roof?" His voice is raspy and he is holding his head in confusion.

"Don't you remember? You shot her twice in the chest. She lost another one of her lives. She's now down to six." I smile at him, trying to reassure him, trying to look proud.

"I did! Oh, yes, I remember now. She dropped pretty quickly, didn't she?" He is obviously very proud of himself; it's an honorable thing in the Order to say that you took a life from the Uniter and made it back alive, if only he was actually worthy of the honor.

_Jokes on him, right? _

"Oh, yes, sir. You did one of the best jobs that I've ever seen. Now when you get back there to tell of your success, make sure to tell them of my involvement in it, how I dragged them to a more open area, and how right now, I am out tracking Alek Petrov. Can you do that?" I give him a pat on the back and another reassuring smile, hoping that he would take my bait.

"Of course, young man, I saw what you did. Good job yourself, but nothing without my great precision, eh." He begins to chuckle darkly to his conceited joke, and then picks himself off the ground, whistling a tune. "See ya around, boy."

_Cocky ass. But I'm one step closer to getting out of this joint. _

I turn around to head for the apartment, my hand holding my still wet cheek. Noticing that in place of my smooth skin is a very deep scar.

* * *

><p>I wake up the next morning, taking my time to stretch out, raising my arms above my head and extending my toes. The sunlight streams in through my window, and I slowly open one eye.<p>

_No tail, no tail, please, no tail. _

I open my other eye too, now gaining full eyesight and look down at my hands, promptly noticing that they are indeed, hands, and not paws. I quickly lift the covers to get a better look, and notice that I am tail-free, and also fur-free. It was a very good feeling.

I raise myself out of bed and with a hungry stomach, hurry myself downstairs, finding my mom reading the paper, and leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Good to see you are awake, sleeping beauty. What I surprise I had when Alek came to my door past midnight holding my daughter." She smirks at me, putting the paper down, and crossing her arms.

I inwardly cringe, my mouth turning into a frown. "Oh, mom. About that…"

She cuts me off, raising a hand. "I know. Alek told me how you two were on a date and you fell asleep on his couch. Just please, try not to have it happen again. If you feel like you are going to fall asleep, try to make it home first."

"Okay, I promise." I smile, grabbing a bowl of cereal and sitting down at the table.

_Easier than I thought. _

She sits down across from me, poised to inquire more about my life. "So are you two an item now? Do you like him?" She leans across the table in interest.

_Okay, not so easy._

I inwardly cringe again, so not the conversation I want to have first thing in the morning. "I don't know, mom. I really like him, but I don't quite understand it yet. Right now we are just friends."

She pouts a little bit, leaning back in her chair. "He is a really nice boy though, Chloe. I could hardly believe that he would carry you home, and stay to explain it all to me. He even said he let you pick the movie, how sweet is that?"

_Yeah, he was milking this._

"Yes, mom, he can be very sweet when he wants to be. But most of the time, sweet is definitely not the word that comes to mind when I think of Alek Petrov." I smile to myself, hoping that he's on my rooftop listening to this.

My mom laughs a little bit at my comment and puts her hand over mine on the table. "Okay, I get it. He's sweet, but he's not that sweet." Then she gets up from the table, and grabs her bag. "Be home for dinner! I'm ordering pizza!" She shouts as she walks out the door.

"Will do!"

As soon as my mom is out the door, I hear someone coming down the steps.

"So what is the word that comes to mind when you think of Alek Petrov?" I can feel his smirk all the way from the other side of the room, turning to face him; I send him a smirk of my own.

_I'd much rather talk about this than my little cat issue. _

"You know there is a door that you could use." This causes his smirk to grow even larger. "And I don't know, I don't think there is a word really."

He comes closer to me, effectively pushing me up against the wall, and leaves our lips inches from each other. "You can't think of any? Not sexy? Good kisser?"

"That's not one word." I manage to breathe out. He smirks at me, and leans in even closer, our lips just about to touch when I instantly pull away, causing him to kiss the wall. I begin to topple over in laughter.

"Chloe…!" He looks very hot and bothered at this point, still leaning against the wall.

"Sorry, Alek. Looks like gullible is another addition to your list there." I begin to laugh again, looking at his annoyed expression.

"Yeah, well, I have a perfect word to describe you, Chloe King." He stalks closer to me again, putting his face reach next to mine again.

He leans overtop of me, pressing my back into counter, and breathes the word in my face.

"Tease" Then he leans away, and walks over to the table in laughter.

_Okay, maybe, I had that coming._

* * *

><p>AN: I deleted and rewrote the last part of this chapter so many times. I felt like it almost belonged in the next chapter, but at the same time, I wanted this chapter to close her first transformation, and it needed that light humor that lacks sometimes from such a heavy story. Anyway, this is the last update for a little bit (which is why it is extra long). I have school work to do, a job, and I want to hang with my friends before summer is over, so I may not update for a few days, but I'll still respond to reviews. Give me any reviews you have, I especially want them for this chapter. Tell me your reactions to various parts of the chapter, your feelings regarding the twist in Chloe's new powers, and anything you'd personally like to see, if you desire to see anything specific at all. Honestly, I need to hear people's reactions because I have a lot of doubts about this chapter. So please and thank you.


	4. Cheese!

A/N: This chapter is mostly setting up what will happen next chapter, so just hang in with me.

**Mini-Summary: **Last time we were here, Zane admitted that he laced his weapons with some type of potion/substance to put Valentina and Jasmine in a state of unconsciousness, he also was shot and killed, then came back to life after Chloe licked him. That being said, Chloe transformed into a cat, and licked Zane, but a curse is bestowed on her that if she turns too many times she may be permanently stuck in this form (She doesn't know about this curse yet). Also, something is up with Jasmine's dad, as he took her special book but we don't know what, and Alek seems to have something going on, as he mysteriously disappeared at a time of great inconvenience. Okay, so here's to hoping you find my humor humorous, my drama dramatic and my romance romantic. Cheers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Chloe King or any of its characters. I only own the plot line of this story.

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><p>Chapter Four: Cheese!<p>

"What do you mean you came back to life?" I look at him incredulously, my arms flailing in the air as I speak. "You aren't a uniter, you don't have a special ring, and you didn't drink any type of special potion, so what is your excuse?"

_This is ridiculous. Why even bother staying alive, no one can really "die" in my world. _

He rubs his hands together, lifting his head to look me straight in the eyes. "Why would I know the answer to that, Chloe? This is just as confusing for me as it is for you. All I know is that I wake up hours later on the ground in the middle of a street, and I have this strange scar on my face, but no trace of a bullet ever having pierced my body." He grabs my hand and lifts it to his scar, letting my delicate fingers gently run over the outline. "All I know is that I died, but I'm here now." Still holding my hand, he begins to trace patterns into it with his thumb. His eyes pierce through mine, as his mouth curves into an entirely unsettling smile.

I jerk my hand back, effectively removing it from his grasp, and slowly step away. "I'm glad you're not dead, but don't mistake that as anything else, Zane. You still did wrong by Jasmine and Valentina, and you need to fix that." Somewhere in my little speech, my arms folded into a lecturing-style pose, firmly crossed with my shoulders pushing me downwards at his eyelevel.

"I know, Chloe, and I want to do right by you too." He stands up and begins to move closer to me, pushing me up against a wall. "I just want the chance; let me show you that I can be who you need me to be." Putting a finger under my chin, he lifts my head up towards him, forcing me to meet his eyes again.

_What is this about guys cornering girls around here? All of them must be sipping the same kool-aid or something. _

"What's going on here, Chloe?" I snap my head to the right, only to discover none other than Alek Petrov. Standing a few feet away from us, his arms are crossed, and he looks less than thrilled.

_Shouldn't he be freaking out? Shouldn't he remember that Zane died? _

Sending Alek a weary look, I smoothly step out of Zane's grasp. I nod my head towards the door, and give him a hard look. "Zane, could you just…leave."

Zane turns his head back towards me, his gaze following the lines of the wall up towards the ceiling. He begins to slowly peel himself off the wall, a devilish smirk smeared across his face. "Well, I was comfortable where I was at. But I see you two have some gossiping you need to do, so I'll catch you later, Muffin." With that he saunters out of the room, making an effort to slam the door behind him.

_Muffin? Is he trying to call me fat? _

A look of disgust crosses over my face, before I realize that Alek is still in the room, and we have some unfinished business. "So, Alek, what have you been up to lately?" I maneuver my body to face him, unintentionally letting some of my curls fall over my face, covering my eye.

He steps forward, leans down, and gently brushes the strand of hair out of my face. His hand lingers on my face longer than necessary, but I don't complain, I just watch him through half-lidded eyes. "Chloe, there is a lot to talk about…" He steps away from me, lowering his gaze, as if hiding himself from my response. "While you and Zane were fighting, I went into the house. A door was open and I ended up in some type of laboratory…"

I narrow my eyes at him, anxiously running my hands through my curls. "A laboratory? In their house? How did Brian not know about it?"

His head snaps up, tugging furiously on his own mop of blonde hair. "That's just it, Chloe. He had to have known!"

"But Brian…he couldn't have known? He loved me, if he knew about the laboratory; he could have known about me before I told him." I seat myself on the chair placed behind me, and envelope my face with my hands. An overwhelming feeling of stupidity comes over me, as I realize that I am a pawn in his game too.

"Are you going to tell me that he never explored the house? There wasn't even a lock on the door, Chloe! It was open in plain sight!" He shuffles towards me, leans down to my level and places his hands on my shoulders. "He knows something, Chloe, he has to."

"Then why did he ask me what I was? Why did he pretend he didn't know? Better yet, why did he kiss me, Alek? If he knew what I was, then why did he kiss me? That probably wasn't in whatever plan his father set up." Desperate for answers, I lean up to look at Alek, realizing that his face is much closer to mine than I thought.

He leans back, slowly inhaling and exhaling for a few moments before he answers. "I don't know, Chloe. I have no idea how much he knows either, we at least know that he knows about the potions… but maybe you are wrong, maybe he didn't know what you were. We are assuming a lot here."

"I'd like to think that, but it makes more sense if he was prompted to be with me. I mean, he's in college and he's hanging around a high school girl at a vintage clothing store? It all seems a little fishy when you take a step back." I wrap my arms around myself, feeling very insecure at the moment.

"Chloe, you don't give yourself enough credit. I'd hang around a vintage clothing store for you." He winks at me, a lopsided smile growing on his face.

"Funny." I stick my tongue out at him, and we fall into a comfortable silence for a few moments, until I choose to speak again. "Did you find anything of interest in the laboratory?"

Giving me a guilty expression, he lowers himself onto the same chair that I had previously been seated on, and rubs his hands together. "I didn't really get a chance to explore; it wasn't exactly an unguarded space. We are going to need to go back."

I ponder his answer for a moment, until I suddenly realize the perfect idea. "I've got it!" I begin to pace around the room, the excitement growing on my face. "Last week, Brian was telling me about this open party his dad was hosting every night of this week at their house in commemoration of his mother. It is a formal event, but I'm sure you'll have no problem finding a tux, right?"

"No, I can find a tux, but why would I be there? Wouldn't that be weird? Sure, you helped out with Brian's mom and stuff, but I don't even know the guy that well. Last time I talked to him, he punched me in the face." He sends me a pointed look and gestures to his eye.

I sigh in recognition to the event, and try to conjure up a solution to this catastrophe that I call my life. "Okay, well, it is open to anyone, and he knows about us being mai now. He'll understand that I need my protection to come with me anywhere."

"So I can't go as your date, only your protection?" He raises himself off the chair and begins to move towards me, grasping my hand with his own.

"Well…I mean…it would sound better if I just called you my date." My voice sounds entirely nervous, something I am definitely not used to.

He twirls my hand in his, focusing on the movements he makes with it, this absentminded gesture adds to the tension in the room. "I would love to go as your date, Chloe." He leans his head down to me, smirking at the realization that he has left me breathless for the second time.

_This is going to be a long night. _

* * *

><p><em>He clearly knows much more than I thought. It's what he's going to do with that knowledge that frightens me. <em>

I lift myself off the bed, and begin to travel down the long hallway, eventually reaching the stairwell. Every time my feet connect with the floor, a loud creak sounds out, and I grow increasingly anxious.

_I don't want to be here. I want to go home. _

I approach the dining table, and notice my mother looks a bit shaken, while my father looks a bit guilty. Those two expressions can never be a good combination on parents. I hesitantly sit down at the table, and lift my fork, slowly beginning to eat. The food has a terribly bitter taste to it, the type of taste that stays in your mouth. I choose to ignore it though, not wanting to make a sound. The tension in the room is already so intense that it is almost petrifying. No one utters a word, but merely continues to eat the tart food in silence.

"Jasmine, after dinner, please come to the living room. I'd like a word with you." My father puts his fork down, leaving his food unfinished and moves himself into the living room, not bothering to acknowledge my mother again.

I swallow down another bite, and begin to lift myself from the table. I stop short when I notice my mother's face. She looks heartbroken, and still quite shaken. I opt to help her clean up a bit before I have to go into the other room. She remains in place, unmoving, and to be honest, I'm a little terrified. "Mom? Are you okay?" I place a hand on her back, rubbing smooth circles with my palm.

"What? I'm fine, honey. You should go." Just when I think she is sending me off prematurely to face my doom, I notice that she is not gesturing to the living room, she is gesturing to the back door. "You should go now." Her voice is even, but yet, still has a firm tone to it.

A puzzled look crosses my features, and I know that I should trust my mother. But I'll never get the answers I need if I do that. Besides he's my father and he wouldn't hurt me, right? "Mom, I'll be okay, I'm going to go ahead and talk to him." I walk past her and she sends me a desperate look, but makes no move to stop me from continuing on.

I shuffle into the room, and notice my father standing in front of the fireplace, some type of drink in hand. "There you are, Jasmine." He gestures for me to sit on the couch, and I do as he prompts, growing a little more comfortable but still extremely apprehensive. "Now you know exactly what I want from you. Are you going to give it to me?"In a matter of seconds, his expression changes from a warm, inviting smile to a cold, sadistic glare. I almost do a double take myself to believe the act that he had been pulling.

"I'm not quite sure I remember what you are talking about." As false as this might sound in this world, I honestly don't. I have no idea what he is talking about, nonetheless what I need to do to give it to him.

"Don't play games with me, girl. Tell me where the uniter is." He holds his glare as he leans in closer to me, menacingly running his arm along the back of the couch.

My eyebrows shoot up, as I realize that even if I'm not a mai in this world, I'm still entirely wrapped up in all of the uniter drama.

_Of course, I just can't stay away. _

He leans behind the couch, slowly lifting the book that I had previously placed underneath my bed onto my lap. "Now take your little book here, and make it show you where this uniter is, like you've done before. I don't know why it doesn't work for me, and I don't much care. I just want to know the answer now."

I weigh the book in my hands, and it feels heavier than I remember, perhaps the reality of the situation just makes everything seem more intense. "I don't know how I did it before, it just happened."

"Jasmine, do it now. You know what's at stake here." He gestures to the kitchen, and I realize that he's been threatening me with my mother.

_No wonder she looks so shaken…_

"Alright then…" I slowly open the book, taking my time to explore it. My father looks at me curiously like he's expecting me to perform some type of magic spell, in reality though, I'm just holding off until I can find a weapon or escape route to get my mother and I out of here. My eyes search the room, but conveniently for my father, the room is pretty bland. The furniture is basic wood, and the decorations are rather minimal.

"I don't have all day here." He pulls a syringe out of his one of his pockets and begins to press it against his own skin, teasing me with the motion he would make to plunge it into my body and release the liquid.

_Does he have some type of sadistic mental problem, or is he just insane? _

I begin to panic, realizing that bluff could actually be met with some action. I open the book and turn to a random, empty page. While the first few pages of the book are filled with prophecies, most of the pages are blank. "Okay, well… show me the uniter now!" The book makes no motion at all, remaining exactly where it is. That didn't work. "Hum…open sesame?" The book once again, remains still. The look on my father's face is growing more and more impatient, as if he's about ready to strike.

_Well, it worked for Aladdin… _

"Please show me the uniter?" I look down at the book, pleading with it to just give me as I ask, but still it remains unmoving.

"Okay, I see you are going to need some punishment to get you moving on this. Maybe some haunted nightmares will do you some good." He begins to move the syringe towards me, trying to push me down with his other arm.

"Come on, book! Show me Chloe King!" As soon as the words come out of my mouth the books pages begin to turn, as if a mighty gust of wind has made them move. My father halts above me, and picks up the book. He sits back down on the sofa, and begins to caress the leather on the cover.

_So now the man in the white room sits. _

"So it is true! When you ask it a question, it creates a new page. But how did you know her name, Jasmine?" I don't like the look on his face; he appears as though he's expecting me to share a grand secret with him. As if he wants me to reveal my inner thoughts, inner doings, and then brush each other hair and gab about the latest TV show. It doesn't bring comfort to the word, "daddy", for me.

"I just knew…I'm not quite sure how." I avert my eyes downward, no longer wanting to meet his gaze. I know how to accept defeat, and I have to, because there wasn't a chance in the universe that I could explain myself out of this one; I was a goner.

"I'm sorry to hear that." We stare at each other for a long second, the confusion growing on my face and then I begin to feel dizzy. The entire room is spinning, colors are blending together, and I can only coherently hear his voice. "I didn't even have to use the syringe, your dinner took effect. I won't be there when you wake up, but I want you to know I love you. Even if I have to use force to manipulate you, I love you and your mother very much."

A helpless look crosses over my features, as I feel my head drop down onto a hard, cold surface for the second time this week. My eyes remain open long enough to see something resembling my mother being carried into the room, as well.

_I should have listened to her; I should have run while I had the chance._

The curtain between this reality, and another, sways in front of my eyes. As it comes to a close, a slow-falling, wet tear escapes my vision, and the overwhelming darkness completely consumes me.

* * *

><p>"You're going to have him eating out of your hands, Chloe." My mother pulls my hair out from under the clutches of the curling iron, and resumes work on the next piece of hair. Although my hair is already curly, she insisted on touching it up.<p>

_Just touching it up implies that she will quickly fix it, but no, this is my mother so I've been sitting here for an hour. _

"I'm sure I will, Mom." I decided a long time ago to allow her to have her moments where she feels like she is being a mother. My eyes are still pressed shut, as she won't let me look at my hair, but then I hear a groan release from my mother's lips as I feel some hair brush against my nose.

_Can't win all battles, right, Mom? _

"Okay, I think that's about it. What do you think?" I open my eyes and look at the girl in the mirror. She didn't really seem all that real to me, resembling more of a princess than a…well…cat. My hair was pinned partially up, two intricate braids running from my crown to the back of my neck, meeting with a beautiful, silver hair clip, slightly off center. The curls in my hair were incredibly polished, as though they were smooth glass, but yet still something that looked appealing to touch. My makeup was in a class of its own, having also been finished by my mother. Decked out with winged out eyeliner, subtle lavender eye shadow, the rosiest cheeks I had ever seen, and pale pink lip gloss; I was ready for this event. "I love it, Mom. I don't even look like myself." I hold a hand up to my face, as if trying to check that I do exist.

"No, sweetie, you are as pretty as usual, just a little fancier than everyday." She carefully strokes the back of my head, caressing the smooth curls. "Now, go put on your dress. Your date will be here in less than an hour."

"Thank you for everything, mom." I stand up to hug her, and we just remain in her room for a short while, happy to have each others presence. I pull back remembering that I do, in fact, have someplace I need to be. Walking to my room, I reach my closet door, and press my hand up against the smooth bag hanging off of it.

_Now this…this will have him eating out of my hands alone._

I reach for the zipper on the bag, and observe the dress. To say that it is anything less than other-worldly wouldn't have done the dress any justice. I pull it out of the bag, and begin to put it on me, running my hands over the fabric. I step in front of my mirror, and realize that I look so much older, I look so much more important, like a leader, a uniter. I gasp at my own thoughts, and pull myself to the ground to strap on my heels.

_If I had a dime for every time someone called me the uniter, I'd be rich. But if I had a dime for every time I felt like the uniter, well…I'd have a dime. _

It is the first time since I turned sixteen that I have felt like a uniter, like I have a greater purpose. I don't know what would happen tonight, but I know that whatever it is, it's going to be important.

* * *

><p>I lift the roses to my nose, allowing the sweet scent to fill my head, and cloud my senses. I am standing in front of the King's house in my tuxedo, holding a bouquet of flowers.<p>

_I am ready._

I lift my hand to the wooden door, and begin to lightly knock; knowing Chloe could hear me even if she was in her room.

"I've got it, mom! It's probably Alek!" I hear the shuffling of her feet, her halt at the mirror in the hallway, and finally her hand reaching to turn the door knob. The barrier between us swings open and I audibly gasp, my jaw just about hits the floor. Standing in front of me is an angel.

She flips her hair and sends me a smile that makes me almost fall to my knees. Her face, her hair, everything is perfection. But the dress, it's like a blend of our personalities, it's not even of this world.

_Sultry and Sweet_

Her gown is a deep shade of burgundy, easily mistaken as a midnight black. Lace runs up the entire dress, meeting the beading around the strapless, sweetheart neckline. The dress hugs her curves; a corset-like resemblance exists with the design around her waist, then flowing out to the floor, more lace trailing behind her.

I could have stood here forever, merely observing the rose-like patterns of lace on her dress, but I'm brought back to reality with the enthusiastic, but nervous expression on her face. I realize that she is likely not nervous about my opinion on her appearance, but almost certainly about the purpose of this outing, the mission aspect. I have to remember that she didn't want to go on this date with me, it is merely a mission.

I step forward, grabbing her hand, and I kiss the back of it lightly. Her smile grows even wider as I hand her the bouquets of sweet-smelling roses. "Thank you, Alek. I'm going to go put these in vase. Please come in with me." She pulls me in, still grasping my hand and leaves me in the hallway to fend for myself. Her mother comes downstairs, holding an extremely large, seemingly professional-style camera. She smiles at me, observing my own appearance, as if judging if I am worthy of her daughter.

"Mom, we are going to be late!" Chloe groans, and steps over to me, as if accepting defeat before the battle has even begun.

"Just one picture, I promise!" Chloe's mother begins to usher me closer to Chloe, and kneels down on the ground to prepare for the photo. My hand wraps around Chloe's waist and I feel her hands inch up to my chest. "Say Cheese!"

I give her the widest, phoniest smile of my life, but nonetheless, Chloe's mother looks very happy. "Cheese!" We both say at the same time, as the camera flashes in front of us. I pull Chloe in even closer, feeling on cloud nine from even something as little as the strawberry smell of her blonde curls.

_I will surely go bloody insane before the night is over._

* * *

><p>AN: It took me a few days to write this merely because I do not have any time. I'm going to update with one more chapter by tomorrow night, and then I'm going to go on a break for a few weeks. Once school cools down a little bit, and I'm not sick, I'll be able to update more regularly. The good news about tomorrow's chapter is that it is definitely something to look forward to because it will be the chapter where people fall apart, lies unfold, some story plots come together, and new ones form. It's like a little season finale in story form. Then when I come back in a few weeks there will be a time jump between that chapter and the next. The thing fueling me to keep going is the reviews though, I might consider making next chapter longer than usual, if I get more reviews than usual. Those really fuel me. Btw. Special thanks to Emily Pier, her review really kept me going on this story, it was so sweet and the longest one I've had, so thank you!


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